FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE
Soon after its establishment Georgetown became a prominent port, and one of the interesting places there to-day is the old customhouse. A number of mills, the ruins of which can still be seen, were there. It is said that flour shipped in colonial times from Georgetown to Europe was so good that consignees did not think it necessary to open the barrels for inspection. Tobacco and corn were the two other chief exports. Georgetown University was established in 1789, the year George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the Republic. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, 182 miles long, commenced in 1828, had its beginning in Georgetown. It cost $13,000,000. Georgetown’s exports in 1792 amounted to $348,539. Much coal was also shipped to Alexandria for towns on the Atlantic coast.
Georgetown also became noted for the many fine houses which were built there, such as Tudor Place, Woodley, the Oaks, Montrose, the Bowie Mansion, and Bellevue, later known as the Rittenhouse Mansion. In the early days, while houses in the new Federal City were being built, many Members of Congress preferred to travel the dusty road from the Capitol to Georgetown because of the suitable residences there in which they could live.
Among the mansions near Georgetown, to be mentioned here, is Arlington Mansion (described fully on [page 309]), built in 1802 by George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted son of President Washington. The original Arlington estate comprised 6,000 acres. The design of the portico of the house resembles that of the Temple of Theseus at Athens, which stands to-day one of the best-preserved buildings of antiquity. Mr. Custis lived there till his death in 1857. He entertained Lafayette at Arlington during his visit to the United States in 1824.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY MANSION
The Francis Scott Key Mansion, at Georgetown, stands remodeled as a store building on old Bridge Street, now M Street, one-half block from the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Originally it was a 3-story “colonial” brick building, which stood there as such until about the year 1917, when the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built to replace the old Aqueduct Bridge.
Entering the front door at the left of the building, there was a spacious hall extending through the entire house. At the right of the hall were two large parlors. In the basement was the dining room, kitchen, and “cold room,” a room bricked up and used as a refrigerator and pantry. In the second story were two large bedrooms and a large hall. The third story contained four bedrooms. The window frames were small, 4 by 6 inches, supported in heavy sashes, as was the custom in building such houses.
In the rear of the house was a beautiful garden, which sloped gracefully to the river. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal was later built through it. This area is now occupied by factories, warehouses, and store buildings.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY HOUSE